


Stay

by Death2Toby



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Making Up, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2019-03-24 19:29:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 3,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13817901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Death2Toby/pseuds/Death2Toby
Summary: A series of prompt fills I wrote forImagine Steve Rogersfollowing Steve and Tony post-Civil War.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So if you look at the rest of my works it's pretty clear that Stucky is my true OTP, but the reason I wanted to write for ISR was to push myself a bit out of my comfort zone and it's really cool to have the influence of the prompters influence the way the story goes. I'm having a lot of fun with it! 
> 
> If you enjoy, please consider liking/reblogging on [Tumblr. ](https://imaginesteverogerss.tumblr.com/post/170242644985/superhusbands-please-steve-comes-home-after-bucky)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt:** Superhusbands please! Steve comes home after Bucky goes under cryo to apologize to Tony. Tony's heart is melted by Steve's stupid face, sincerity and offering of flowers.

Of one thing, Steve was absolutely certain. This was the worst plan he’d ever had. No one would have ever accused him of being a tactical genius, but this was just stupid. But desperation often breeds stupidity. And desperate, Steve was.

So here he was, standing outside Tony’s door, trying to work up the nerve to knock and wondering why in the hell he’d thought a bouquet of flowers would be a suitable peace offering.

The door opened before Steve had the chance to conquer his fear. He should have known that FRIDAY would alert Tony to visitors. He wondered how long Tony had watched him shifting in the hallway. Tony looked him up and down before moving aside wordlessly to let Steve in.

“You could have been arrested, you know,” Tony said, trying to sound like he wouldn’t’ve cared if he had.

The words Steve had been rehearsing for weeks, months, had flooded out of his brain the moment he’d seen Tony. Defeated and sheepish, he held up the bouquet.

“Oh great, yeah thanks. No card? Sorry I tried to murder you, here’s some flowers? I guess Hallmark doesn’t make that one.” He placed the bouquet on the counter.

“Tony…” Steve’s voice was soft but heavy, pleading. He swallowed, glancing down before the other man moved swiftly forward, plastering himself to Steve’s chest and squeezing him as hard as he could. Steve could feel moisture through his shirt where Tony had pressed his face.

“Steve, you’re an idiot.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt:** Imagine Steve and Tony’s first night at home together since Steve’s homecoming. Steve is clingy and quieter than usual and Tony notices. Definitely even more affectionate and tactical than ordinarily. Poor guy is so shaken by Siberia, the tension with his spouse and Bucky’s decision to remain in cryogenic frozen state.

“Steve, for fuck’s sake, will you sit down? I’ll be there in a minute.” 

Steve’s pacing halted and he did as Tony said. He shifted awkwardly on the couch, twiddling his thumbs. The other man came in from the kitchen to join him, handing him a cup of coffee despite the late hour. Steve took it without looking up, sipping it immediately and wincing both from the burning and the bitterness. He set the mug down on the table in front of him.

He could feel Tony’s eyes on him, but couldn’t bring himself to meet them, instead distracted by the never-quelling whirlwind of feelings within him. Guilt, fear, and an overwhelming longing to sink into the other man’s embrace. He wasn’t sure he was really welcome there yet. And god, he missed Bucky too, but didn’t dare bring him up now. At least he was safe. Steve felt like he might just come apart, but then Tony finally spoke. 

“Look, I already told you you’re forgiven, alright?” 

“Tony, I-”

“Forgiven,” he interjected. 

Steve finally met Tony’s gaze, brows knitted together in questioning. It didn’t seem fair, after all he’d done, that he could come back like nothing had happened and be welcomed with open arms. 

Nevertheless, Tony scooted closer, placing a hand over Steve’s, and that was all the reassurance he needed. Steve caught Tony’s lips with his own, and that moment was all that mattered. He’d almost lost these moments forever. He wouldn’t take them for granted again. 

When they broke apart, Steve hooked an arm through Tony’s, curled his legs up and leaned against Tony’s shoulder. 

“I’m glad you’re home,” Tony said quietly. 

“Me too.”

“Oh, I forgot your sugar,” Tony said. He tried to get up, but Steve remained steadfast. “Am I not allowed to move?”

“Nope.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt:** Steve came home to Tony with his stupid sad face and flowers. He’s even been forgiven and welcomed home. But it’s time to address the elephant in the room: Bucky Barnes and Steve’s overwhelming desire to be in two places at once.

He knew Tony could sense it. The worry. The conflict that waged in Steve’s head all waking hours. He wanted to be honest, but it seemed easier, at least for the moment, to keep up the charade despite it’s translucency. Of course Steve had spent so much time puzzling over which would cause more friction between them that it was probably a moot point by now.

Tony had welcomed him with open arms after everything; Steve should still be groveling. Instead, he was thinking about Bucky. How long would it take for T’Challa’s scientists to remove the trigger words? How much would Bucky remember? And once and for all, was he the Bucky Steve knew so long ago? And all that’s not to mention how in the hell he would deal with trying to get Bucky back into the world when Tony still hated his guts.

“Honey, I’m home,” Tony joked, as if that one never got old.

Steve would have laughed even still, but he jumped instead after being jolted from his thoughts.

“Everything okay,” asked Tony, without much concern.

“Yeah, fine.” Steve turned around on the barstool in the kitchen where he sat and smiled.

“What’d you do today?”

“Nothing.”

“Let’s see, by my count, that means you have been doing nothing for the past,” Tony paused, theatrically checking a watch that he wasn’t wearing, “28 days.”

“Not much to do, I guess.”

“Except sit around and wait for Barnes to come out of cryo.”

Steve’s face fell before he could decide whether to let it. “It’s not like that, Tony.”

“Oh, I think it is.”

“You don’t understand.”

“Oh, I think I do.”

Steve stood, approaching the other man none too confidently, but placing his hands on Tony’s shoulders nonetheless.

“Why did you come back,” Tony asked. Steve felt him tense like he was already bracing for an answer he didn’t want to hear.

“Are you kidding?” Of course, Tony was uncharacteristically dead serious. “Tony, I love you,” Steve stated, as though it were painfully obvious. Tony remained unconvinced and silent. “I do miss him,” Steve admitted, though unsure it was the right thing to say. He wasn’t sure of much these days.

“Don’t I know it.”

“I know. I know that I hurt you, Tony. I know that I have no right to ask you to trust me especially when it comes to Bucky, but… Everything that happened to him, everything they did to him and made him do to other people, it was my fault.” Steve cleared his throat. He was shaking now, the weight of it all crushing him, tears stinging his eyes. “I love you and I don’t want to lose you, and I… I don’t know what to do.”

Steve let himself sink against Tony’s chest, and Tony held him tight. It might not solve much but it was all he could do for now.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt:** With the elephant in the room addressed, Steve still feels like he’s walking on egg shells. But he’s going to shower Tony with love and affection until the genius can’t doubt that the Captain genuinely loves him.

It was rare these days for Tony to sleep in, or more accurately, it was rare that Steve did not drag him out of bed at the crack of dawn to go for a run. God, running was the worst. 

Of course “these days” was a relative term. When they first got together, things were predictable, simple, easy as breathing. Tony supposed that wasn’t “these days” anymore, it was “those days” or maybe even “the good old days.” These days were filled with tension and doubt, conflict, fear, and trying their damnedest to pretend it was still the good old days.

Tony blinked his eyes awake and stretched his arms into the empty space next to him. He inhaled sharply and swallowed the rising panic in his chest as his mind flashed back to the months he’d spent alone wondering if and under what circumstances Steve might come back to him. 

His panic was quelled when Steve appeared in the doorway carrying a tray, wearing a god damn apron with a big stupid but somehow nervous smile on his face and Tony couldn’t help but laugh. He pushed himself up, sheets falling from his chest, as Steve placed the tray in his lap. 

“Good morning,” Steve said, beaming. He walked to the other said of the bed and slid beside Tony, draping his arm across his shoulders. 

“Is it my birthday?”

“Well that would be an unbelievable coincidence,” Steve said, placing a kiss on Tony’s cheek. “I just wanted to do something nice for you.” 

As comfort and relief settled into him for the moment, Tony finally took an inventory of the spread in front of him. An omelette, toast, orang juice. “Chocolates?” 

“Dessert.” 

“Right,” Tony said skeptically, grinning. 

Steve leaned over again, reaching out to turn Tony’s face toward his own and kissing him softly. “I love you.” 

“You too.” 

“What do you want to do today?” 

“I have some ideas,” Tony said devilishly.

Steve laughed earnestly. “At least eat your breakfast first.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt:** Ever since Steve came home with his stupid face and those flowers, he’s had horrific nightmares. Tony didn’t realize just how bad things had gotten until Steve wakes up screaming with his boyfriend’s name on his lips.

Steve shot up from where he had been sleeping, forcing Tony’s hands away from his shoulders. He fought to catch his breath, chest heaving as he let his mind recalibrate to his surroundings. 

“Again,” Steve asked after a few minutes of adjustment. 

“Yeah,” Tony murmured sympathetically, draping his arm across Steve’s shoulders. 

As if something or someone up there gave a damn, Steve’s eyes rolled up toward the ceiling. “I’m sorry I woke you.” 

“Steve, don’t be an idiot,” Tony replied. It was enough to get a smile to tug at the corner of Steve’s mouth. “But um… do you think it would help if you told me what you were dreaming about?” 

Steve cleared his throat, pondering the suggestion. He took a breath before beginning. “We’re fighting. We’re fighting and I have you pinned down on the ground. I can’t stop myself, it’s like I’m out of my body. I’m screaming your name but I just keep hitting you and hitting you until…” He stopped, unable to finish, the image still vivid in his mind, shutting his eyes against threatening tears. 

“Hey, hey, Steve, it’s okay,” Tony soothed, rubbing easy circles over Steve’s skin, “I’m okay, you’re okay, we’re okay.” He was never great at comforting, non-sarcastic words. “I’ll wake up every night and tell you the same thing if I have to.” That was better. 

A heavy sigh escaped from Steve and he let his shoulders fall, tension releasing for now. “I love you, Tony.” It was all he could say. It was both a declaration, an apology, and a promise all in one. 

“I love you too.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt:** It’s the day that’s been looming over their heads since Steve came home with flowers and a terrible apology. Someday, T’Challa would call the Captain and Bucky would finally be ready to be awaken safely. Steve stresses over whether to go to Wakanda and what to tell Tony. In the end, Steve decides honesty is best and invites Tony to be apart of the decision making instead of shutting him out. That’s a big step for Steve, respecting and validating his relationship with Tony.

Steve had been preparing, or trying to prepare for this conversation since, well, since he came home. That is, if “preparing” meant going through every worst-case-scenario in his head until he made himself sick. But then, he supposed, the worst had already happened, and he, Tony, and Bucky had mostly survived.

Still, he could’ve had a full blown panic attack if his enhanced body would allow it. He almost wished it would.

And lying in bed at 3 in the morning was not exactly the ideal time and place he would have picked to have this talk, but when had anything in his entire life ever gone to plan?

“Steve,” Tony said, clearly, as though he had been awake for a while. Steve hadn’t noticed. “You wanna tell me why you’re basically hyperventilating?”

Steve’s chest loosened slightly at the sound of Tony’s voice. He took a deep, slow breath. There was no point in lying, and he never wanted to anyway. He hoped the truth was worth something, it was all he had. “They’re, um… They’re close to a breakthrough. With Bucky.”

“Oh. That’s… that’s great.”

“Tony.”

“I’m sorry. I really am happy for you. I’m trying to be, anyway. It’s just…”

“I know.”

“Do you?”

Steve sighed, and the two of them sat up. “Tony, I want to talk about this. I don’t want to keep it separate from you anymore. I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize us.”

“I have to be honest with you, Steve. I still don’t know how to feel about all of this.” And this was Tony. No jokes, no sarcasm. He was vulnerable with Steve, and Steve wasn’t sure he deserved that.

He took Tony’s hand, smiling. “You don’t have to know how you feel right now. Just let me know when you figure it out.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt:** Imagine Steve reintroducing his boyfriend, Tony Stark to a recovering Bucky Barnes.

The flight to Wakanda was a quiet one, with all the talking having been done in the days and weeks prior. Still, Steve suffocated the urge to ask Tony for the billionth time whether he was sure about all of this, although he had no idea what he was supposed to do if he said no. Tony probably didn’t feel like he had much of a choice, not really. Steve cringed at the thought.

Meanwhile his stomach was basically doing somersaults as he waited anxiously. Not soon enough they were slipping beneath the forcefield surrounding the city where the jet was taken over and flown remotely just as T’Challa had said it would be. Steve’s heart pounded against his ribcage threatening to burst straight through as he and Tony disembarked.

Under any other circumstances, Steve would have been in awe of his surroundings. Wakanda was impressive, to say the least, and made the technology he’d grown accustomed to look like it belonged in the 40s. But it all seemed a blur; he nearly forgot to say hello and vaguely registered Tony apologizing to T’Challa and his sister on his behalf. From the fog that Steve’s brain had created around him, Bucky emerged from around the corner, his flair for dramatic apparently restored along with everything else.

Steve felt a smile pull at his mouth and tears stinging his eyes which he blinked away furiously. The world came into focus around him as Bucky approached, smiling, looking happy, healthy, and so very like himself. Steve glanced over at Tony, who made a theatrical gesture with his arms that was aimed toward Bucky. That was all the convincing Steve needed before closing the distance between them, wrapping Bucky in a hug that seemed like an attempt to snap his spine, perhaps giving Shuri another challenge.

“Buck,” Steve murmured with a twinge of disbelief.

“Hey Steve,” Bucky replied as he waited to be freed, chuckling softly.

“How are you?”

“Never better.”

Steve finally addressed T’Challa. “I’m sorry, um… Thank you. Thank you,” he said inarticulately.

“You can thank her,” T’Challa replied, gesturing to Shuri.

“I can’t thank you enough,” Steve said to her.

“It was nothing,” Shuri replied, shrugging, a proud smile on her face.

“Tony,” Bucky said, as if finally noticing his presence.

“Barnes,” Tony replied evenly.

“I’m surprised to see you here.” It was more of a question than a statement.

“Yeah, Steve and I have this ‘where he goes, I go’ kind of thing these days.”

“Oh,” Bucky replied, before his furrowed brow was replaced with a knowing smile, “oh.”

Steve placed his arm across Tony’s shoulders sheepishly.

Tony smiled, a bit sarcastic. “Yeah, this isn’t awkward at all.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt:** Despite Tony’s previous hesitations about being next door neighbors with his boyfriend’s best friend, Bucky turns out to be a saint. Buck calls Steve out when he’s being an idiot. The strange thing is Steve actually listens and apologizes to Tony. Tony didn’t foresee this side to Steve and Bucky’s friendship.

Steve couldn’t remember the last time he felt relaxed. He thought that making up with Tony would help, and then he thought maybe when he saw Bucky again, talked to him, found out he was okay. But even after being forgiven by Tony, even with Bucky back home, back to himself almost completely, he still felt on hair trigger.

And he thought he was hiding it pretty well. He tried to stay present, to enjoy his time with both Tony and Bucky, to help the two of them move past their differences, a job that wasn’t really his but that he took on anyway. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he had let both of them down, that he didn’t deserve either of them.

On this particular day, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, and Steve was brooding. Tony was messing around with something in his workshop as he was wont to do. He could visit with Bucky, but somehow he still felt strange about that prospect. Tony’s trust in him still seemed too fragile.

As fate would have it, however, Bucky showed up to visit anyway, carrying a 6 pack and a bag of Funyuns which he claimed were the best thing about the modern era.

“Hey, Steve,” Bucky said cheerily, and god it was so nice to see him so happy.

“Hey,” Steve replied, pulling a smile.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I was just,” Steve trailed off, looking for anything within arm’s reach that he could have been doing.

“Let me guess, you were ‘thinking,’” Bucky said, having set his provisions down on the coffee table so he could make air quotes with his fingers.

Steve did smile for real then. Even after everything, Bucky still knew him enough to see right through him.

“It’s just been an… adjustment,” Steve offered diplomatically.

“Steve, stop acting like an idiot.”

“Huh?”

“You’re like a rubber band about to snap, and you bet Stark sees it too. I know you’ve been through a lot, we all have, but you gotta get out of your head.”

“It’s not that easy.”

“You’re fucking telling me,” Bucky says, chuckling. “My point is,” Bucky hesitates for a moment, chewing his bottom lip before continuing, “look, I probably shouldn’t be telling you this but, Tony is worried about you. He told me.”

“What?” Steve’s surprise is palpable.

“Believe me, I was as surprised as you. But who else can he talk to when you’re all wrapped up in your own shit?”

Steve looks down at the floor, another wave of guilt washing over him.

“I’m not saying this to make you feel bad, Steve. I’m just saying Tony wants to be with you, he wants to move on from everything. You both fucked up, but things are okay now. The world is at peace for the moment and you should be enjoying it.”

Steve was at a loss for words. The fact that Tony had confided in Bucky felt like a victory in a way, Steve wanted the two of them to be friends, but of course it hurt that he hadn’t been there for Tony, especially since that was all he was trying to do. He’d spent so much time trying to figure out how to heal he and Tony’s relationship that it seemed he’d forgotten to actually do it.

“Hey,” Tony’s voice came from the door way, “what’s going on?”

Steve stood wordlessly, striding over and enveloping Tony in a probably too tight embrace, but not one filled with desperation or yet another apology or some other edge of sadness, just love.

Tony smiled as he returned the hug, and then spoke to Bucky from over Steve’s shoulder. “I owe you one.”


End file.
